(Previously in 'A God in Alagaësia :)
But, a few days after their arrival, Erik smelt something that caused him to freeze during a training session. The scent had been carried by the wind and his nose caught it just as he was teaching Saphira about the best way to have honey (yes, she was in love for the stuff).
"Saphira…they are here..." Erik said in a grave tone as he turned his large head to look at where the city was.
'Who ?' the Dragoness asked him in concern and wariness. In concern because her mentor or brother-in-all-but-blood had just frozen while telling her something important and wariness because of the tone he used.
"The Ra'zacs… They are in the city !"
00/(Present Time)/00
Needless to say that dear Saphira had been more than horrified by the news and had literally tried to head straight to the city to retrieve Eragon and Brom.
The key word was 'tried' as, thanks to Erik who caught her by the tail, she didn't get to do that. After he pinned her down on the ground, the White Bear took almost thirty minutes to calm the frantic Dragoness down but in the end, he succeeded as Saphira stopped struggling under his grip.
Soon, the Dragoness told Eragon about the news and the Rider had thanked her before the young man told Brom. In return, the storyteller sent his thanks for the warning to our two friends. However, Brom also told them that they shouldn't worry as, thankfully, there was no posters with their names or faces on them.
No one would know who they are… at least for now.
After that, Erik would be lying if he said he didn't get a little tense as time went on.
And for good reasons…
While Saphira was keeping an eye on the city in case she saw the Ra'zacs, Erik was deep in thought.
Not long ago, their human friends had been very busy :Brom had been interrogating people around the palace while Eragonhad been talkingwith merchants and workers, crossing the city in all directions. From what they heard, there indeed was an arrival of a settlement of the oil the Ra'zacs left and even discovered where it was delivered to.
And much to Erik's annoyance, it was where their enemies resided : Helgrind.
Worse, Erik and Brom both knew that it wouldn't be easy to enter this damn mountain… and after discussing it, they decided to disguise themselves as slaves. Eragon and Brom would use themselves as bait while Saphira and Erik would wait in the shadows and attack the Ra'zacs at the exact moment.
However, Erik knew that it would never happen…
Shaking his head, Erik looked toward Saphira before asking calmly "How it is down there ?"
At the last part, he pointed at Dras-Leona.
'I don't know about Brom… but Eragon is heading to a strange building...' The Dragoness answered him, while not turning her head away from the city.
"What building ?" he asked her with a tiny sense of dread.
'I don't know how it's called… but from what I can see, it is a place where humans goes to… pray ?' was her answer.
"I see… A cathedral..." Erik said with a nod before stiffening a bit as his whole being was filled with horror.
A CATHEDRAL ?!
There was only one cathedral in Dras-Leona… and it was the one where the Ra'zacs ambushed Eragon in the book ! He wanted nothing more than to rush there and help but he managed to prevent himself from doing so.
Panic will not solve anything.
After taking deep breaths, he turned his head to look at Saphira… who had a look of panic on her face
'The Ra'zacs found Eragon !' she told him with concern, worry, horror and fright.
"Tell him to flee ! Tell him to use mist to hide his departure ! I will call the old man !" Erik told the Dragoness before contacting Brom.
For a moment, nothing happpened… which annoyed and worried our furry hero.
"Come on… answer already !" Erik thought to himself while gritting his fangs.
'Valhir ?' Brom's voice soon echoed in his mind.
'Brom ! The Ra'zac had found Eragon ! They are in the cathedral ! Leave your room as quickly as possible !' the White Bear told him in a hurried tone and he could hear the old man swearing and cursing under his beard for this misfortune.
But soon, the storyteller cut the connection to do his own stuff. Once he was no longer with Brom, Erik turned his head to look at Saphira who… looked ready to rush into the city to pick her rider.
"Where is Eragon now ?" he asked her calmly but still in a hurried tone.
'He is with Brom now… there are riding toward the gates !' Saphira answered him in a relieved tone.
"Good..." Erik commented with a sigh.
'But they are followed by the Ra'zacs and some armed men !' the Dragoness added quickly, which caused our hero to tense again.
"WHAT ?!"
The Massive White Bear looked ready to rush straight toward the city if it wasn't for his scaly friend's next words.
'There they are !' Saphira cried out as she looked toward the city.
Quickly turning his head, Erik was relieved to see Brom and Eragon heading towards the gates that marked the entrance to the city... but unfortunately, they looked ready to close !
"NO !" he roared before sending a bolt of lightning towards the doors.
His attack destroyed the gates and allowed his human friends to escape Dras-Leona and avoid being trapped inside. However, when he saw the guards approached the gates, Erik shot another lightning bolt but this time as the rocks ABOVE the gates. His attack caused the foundation to fall down, stopping the enemies from getting out.
'Good job, Valhir !' Saphira roared at him with approval.
However, he didn't answer her as he merely nodded at her sharply before saying in a serious tone
"We should join our friends… It won't hold those cursed beings for long !"
The blue Dragoness nodded in agreement before the two of them departed from their hiding place, trying to not only join their human friends, but going as far away from Dras-Leona as possible.
'Saphira ! Call your rider and ask him where they are !' He roared telepathically to the dragoness while running on all four.
'Understood !' she answered him in a serious tone before cutting the connection.
For the next seconds, there was nothing but silence between the two massive creatures… but then.
'Valhir ! They are not far from us !' Saphira told her furry companion before sending him the exact position of their friends.
'Lead the way !' Erik demanded her before running toward another direction.
After a few moments, the White Bear's eyes felt upon the familiar forms of Eragon and Brom who were still riding their horses, Cadok and Snowfire. Opening his jaws, Erik released a roar, loud enough to be heard by his human friends who, upon hearing him, rode straight toward him. They both looked relieved despite how pale they looked.
"Valhir ! Saphira !" Eragon called out to him as he and Brom stopped their horses a few feet away from Erik's massive form, just as the Dragoness landed beside him.
While the rider greeted Saphira, Brom approached Erik.
"It's good to see you again, my friend !" the storyteller told him with a tiny smile.
"I should be the one to say that… You almost got caught back there !" Erik retorted in a serious tone while nodding at the old man.
At the final words, Brom grimaced "I should have seen this coming…"
"It's not your fault...none of us could have predicted this...Now we have to go...I may have destroyed the entrance, but I'm 100 % sure that this won't slow down the Ra'zac for very long !" the White Bear told the man while glaring toward where they came from.
The storyteller nodded in agreement before looking at Eragon.
"Eragon, I think it is best if you stay with Saphira for now…"
The young rider, thankfully, had no objections and did just that. While Eragon climbed on Saphira's back, Brom lashed Cadoc behind Snowfire before going south. Erik wished good lucks to the rider and his mount before going after the old man, just as Saphira took off in the air.
Our hero's sharp ears could hear bells echoing from the distance but ignored it as his main preoccupation was to get as far away from Dras-Leona as possible.
The group traveled until they were all forced to stop thanks to a bad weather… well, thanks to a storm. The White Bear was walking a lot slower now, all the while using his massive form to protect Brom and the horses.
"Here we go again..." Erik grumbled in annoyance as he recalled another time when he and his friends had to deal with a storm.
"Valhir ! Can't you use your power again ?!" Brom's voice echoed in the air from behind.
"Yes I can ! But first..." Erik began to say before looking at the sky.
'Eragon ! Saphira ! Get down there !' he called them out and soon enough, he heard their response.
'We are coming !' it was Saphira.
'The storm is too strong to fly in, anyway !' That was Eragon's voice.
After a moment, Saphira and Eragon appeared near their friends.
"Good ! Everyone ! Come closer to me !" Erik demanded them all while using his arms to gesture them to come closer.
Saphira, Brom, Eragon and the horses did just that and once they were close enough, he raised one hand to the sky with his face scrunched in concentration. Soon enough, the strong wind formed a dome around them, protecting them from the storm but around them, everything looked normal.
"Thank you, Valhir !" Eragon said with a sigh of relief while Saphira and Brom also gave their thanks.
"You are welcome...However, I think we should leave…" the White Bear said with a deep nod.
"Indeed, the weather won't stop the Ra'zacs from going after us..." the storyteller said with a grave tone and a nod of agreement.
And they all moved away… no longer having to deal with debris and dirt sent to their faces by the wind. However, as he walked, Erik couldn't help but shooting secret glances behind them, as he knew that soon enough, the Ra'zacs will try to ambush them.
And he was ready to welcome them…
00/(Time Skip)/00
"How in hell did they found us ?!" Eragon asked his companions with anger, shock and frustration as he sat on the ground.
The group had walked for a while but soon the humans had to stop due to exhaustion. The adrenaline that had been running through their veins since they heard about the Ra'zacs at Dras-Leona had left them after a moment of silence and peace.
Saphira had located a good spot where they could rest : large boulders that offered a good hiding place against the weather… even if it hadn't been bothering them so much thanks to Erik and his control over storms. Of course, he had canceled it once they were all to safety.
"I think it was pure luck… I'm sure they were there to prepare a visit of their wretched leader or something like that…" Erik said in a soft tone to comfort his friends.
"I'm not too sure about that, Valhir… You see, one of the palace servants warned me there were spies among them... Somehow word of me and my questions have reached Tábor... and through him, the Ra'zacs..." Brom looked annoyed and frustrated.
No one blamed him for it.
"But how did they knew where I was ?!" Eragon asked him, still thinking about it.
The White Bear opened his mouth to answer, but someone was faster.
"The cathedral you visited must have wards protecting it… The priests might be the only one to be allowed in… when Eragon entered it, the wards warned the Ra'zacs..." the storyteller explained in a grave tone before cursing something under his breath.
Eragon looked ashamed for a moment and opened his mouth to say something but Erik interrupted him by saying in a stern tone.
"Don't blame yourself, none of us knew it would happen ! It is just a bit of bad luck..."
The young Rider shot a grateful look toward the massive White Bear, even if we could see that he was doubting it before looking over at his mentor.
"We can't go back to Dras-Leona, can we ?"
"Not for a few years… I'm afraid..." Brom answered gravely with shaking his head.
At the answer, Eragon held his head between his hands before saying
"What should we do ? Should we draw the Ra'zac out ? Maybe if we let Saphira be seen or Valhir, they'll come running to wherever they are…."
"Even if they do, they won't be alone… There will possibly be around fifty soldiers with them...or more…." Brom answered him before adding in a serious tone.
"At any rate, this isn't the time to discuss it… Right now we have to concentrate on staying alive…Tonight will be the most dangerous because the Ra'zac will be hunting us in the dark, when they are strongest. We'll have to trade watches unt-"
But, unfortunately, he didn't have the time to finish his sentence.
Why ?
Because a deep growl was heard from nearby.
Instantly, Saphira, Brom and Eragon looked toward where it came from… only to widen their eyes when they saw it was none other than Valhir… who looked FURIOUS !
"Valhir ? What is goi-" Eragon began to ask their giant furry friend… only to jump back in fear when Erik jumped out of their hiding place with a roar of fury, disappearing outside.
"What is he doing ?" the young Rider asked Brom with shock, unable to understand what was happening with their furry friend.
"I don't kno-" Brom began to answer when screeches of terror, snarling, crunching and tearing sounds and roars of fury echoed in the air.
"Look like we have some unexpected guests..." the storyteller commented dryly once his shock disappeared.
"So it seems…Do you think it is the Ra'zacs ?" Eragon asked his mentor and his dragon with narrowed eyes as he drew his sword.
'Yes it is...' Saphira answered him with a growl.
"Like Valhir predicted, the destroyed gates hadn't stopped them for long… " Brom said with a grimace before cursing.
Eragon was about to say something… only to pause when he caught a flicker of movements from the corner of his eyes. Soon enough, a figure appeared at the entrance of their 'camp' and Eragon's eyes widened in horror by what he saw.
It was a Ra'zac.
Saphira growled at it with disgust and hatred while Brom drew his own sword, glaring challengingly at the newcomer. The Ra'zac didn't react to their hostile posture and instead looked… amused ?
"Finally… we got you now, little rider… you and your beassst… The Massster will be happy… yesss he will !" the Ra'zac said in a voice that sent shivers of disgust down the spines of our heroes.
"You are alone and there are three of us, Ra'zac !" Brom snarled at the dark Beast.
"You might have ssswordsss but you are no match for me !" the Ra'zac hissed in amusement before adding
"As for me being alone, I am not… My comrades are taking care of that pet of yoursss..."
"Are you sure about that, Ra'zac ?" Brom asked it with a smirk before Eragon took over, saying with a smirk of his own
"I'm pretty sure it is the other way around !"
The Ra'zac growled in anger at those words before hissing "You will pay for your insssolence !"
Once it finished talking, the Ra'zac drew his blades before looking at its enemies who all readied themselves for the fight. A brief moment of silence passed before the dark beast lunged at them... only to be suddenly caught in mid-air by a large white clawed hand.
The Ra'zac screeched in protest as it was moved from its preys but soon, screeches in fright when it was roared on the face by a furious looking Massive White Bear.
If it was possible for a Ra'zac to pale then this one would do so !
"You thought you could get away ?" Erik snarled at the beast in his hand before slamming it into the ground.
"Think again !" the Bear roared loudly before falling on his enemy like a wave on the beach.
A second later, those powerful jaws snapped left, right, a paw ripped open a chest, white teeth, black iron, blood… It was a massacre.
Eragon, Brom and Saphira stared at the bloody scene in silence, their wide eyes unable to look away from it. Soon enough, their trance was broken by a concerned voice
"Are you all okay ?"
Blinking a few times, they looked forward and saw Erik looking at them all with concerned expressions on their faces.
"We are alright, Valhir…" Brom answered with a nod, while glancing at the Ra'zac's dead body.
"What about you ?" Eragon asked him while looking at the Massive Bear from head to toes.
"I'm alright… As you can see, I'm not injured..." Erik answered with a shrug while using his hands to gesture at his whole body.
Apart of the blood on his fur, he looked perfectly unarmed.
'How did you know they were here ? Even me didn't scent them !' Saphira asked him with curiosity while looking relieved that he was alright.
"When you were talking, I caught a scent in the air and thanks to my connection with storms, I felt their arrival…" Erik explained with a shrug.
It was a half-lie, of course but he couldn't tell them that he knew it would happen thanks to his previous life.
Thankfully, they accepted his words with nods and smiles.
"Thanks to those abilities of yours, we avoided being ambushes by them..." Brom commented with a sigh of relief.
"If it wasn't for it, they would have succeeded… those damn things were pretty sneaky, I can give them that..." Erik said with a huff.
"Yes, they are indeed..." the storyteller nodded in agreement while grimacing slightly.
"How many were there ?" Eragon asked the Bear with curiosity even if he looked dead serious.
"Three… and all of them are dead..." Erik answered with a proud look on his face.
"Good..." Eragon replied in a cold tone even if a look of disappointment could be read on his features.
He might be upset to have been the one to kill them… maybe it was it.
"I think we should leave… if the Ra'zacs are here, then the King's solders won't be far behind...or worse… " Brom told his companions in a grave tone.
"Sure… but I have a question..." Erik said to the storyteller in a surprisingly calm tone.
"What question ?" Eragon asked him with a frown of confusion.
"What about him ?" Erik asked them while turning his head to stare at some bushes furthest away from them.
At this, everyone tensed as they all looked toward where he was looking.
"Our friend here knows you are here, so come out ! Unless you want us to unleash him on you !" Brom sternly said toward the bushes while tightening his hold on his sword.
At those words, Erik shot a deadpan look at the storyteller before growling
"I am not an attack dog, you know !"
Saphira and Eragon both snorted at this before turning their heads away when the Bear shot them a glare. Brom, him, allowed a tiny smirk to appear on his face as he glanced sideway at Erik before looking back at the bushes with a serious expression.
For a moment, nothing happened but then, a figure came out of the bushes : it was a young man, maybe around Eragon's age or older (hard to tell) … whose face couldn't be seen as he was looking at the ground, avoiding their gazes. Despite revealing himself, so sound came out of the newcomer's mouth and a long silence fell on our friends.
But it was broken by Brom who asked calmly but still in a stern tone
"Well ? Who are you, boy ?"
Once again, silence fell upon them as the newcomer didn't answer… nor raised his head to look at them.
"Raise your head, boy, and show us see your face !" the storyteller snarled at the newcomer while holding his sword tighter.
The young man figeted a bit more, as if thinking about it but staid silent.
Brom growled in frustration and was about to say something when Erik spoke in a deep tone
"I saw you earlier… You were about to save my friends from this cursed Ra'zac… You can reveal yourself as none of us will try to hurt you… right ?" the last part was said with Erik glancing at his companions from the corner of his eyes.
Saphira growled at the newcomer, possibly because she doesn't trust him, but nodded to show that she won't attack him. Eragon, her dear rider, nodded as well with a tiny smile, putting on a friendly face.
As for Brom ?
He shot a look toward Erik but soon, sighed deeply "Very well… I swear none of us will harm you if you reveal yourself to us..."
The newcomer seemed deep in thought for a moment but then, he slowly raising his head, on his face was a look of resignation. He was a clean-shaved, well tanned, fit, muscular, tall young man who looked very strong and, if Erik was a girl, he would said that the newcomer was strikingly handsome.
The second the newcomer revealed himself, Brom's eyes widened before he roared loudly in shock and slight anger
"YOU ?!"
(To be continue…)